The NBA: Midterm Marks Part Two

Now that
teams are a little past the 41-game mark of the 2012-2013 NBA regular season, I
felt it would be good to take stock of how each team has performed and where
they could be headed. I’ll also try to take a look at some important
developments for the team and give them my own midterm mark, which, for those
who bother to think if there’s any objective set of rubrics, is based on my own
whimsy.

I shall look
at the teams in alphabetical order:

- Part 2 will take a look at MIA until WAS.

Dwyane Wade and the Heat remain atop the Eastdespite going 6-4 in their last 10.(image by Wilfredo Lee/AP)

Miami Heat: The
champs have gone 6-4 in their last 10 despite LBJ having another
MVP-worthy year. Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade have been boom-bust so far,
though Ray Allen’s shooting has really helped spread the floor. Still the
best team in the East. Mark: B

Milwaukee Bucks:
For a while, it seemed like the Bucks would be the GS Warriors of the
East, but Brandon Jennings has turned out to be a little less consistent
than Steph Curry, and the frontline of Larry Sanders + Ersan Ilyasova is
still not as good as David Lee by his lonesome. Still, Milwaukee should
make a strong postseason push in the second half of the season. Mark: B

Minnesota
Timberwolves: Ricky Rubio’s triumphant return was neutered with the
unwelcome news of another Kevin Love injury. No other team has so many
white guys producing so well, but that won’t be enough to tide them over
farther than their 40% winning percentage right now. Mark: C

New Orleans Hornets:
Nobody should be surprised that the Hornets are doing so badly – like dead
last in the West – but what’s surprising is that top pick Anthony Davis
has already developed into the best player on this team. His numbers –
about 13ppg, 8rpg, 2bpg, and 1spg – aren’t eye-popping, but they’re
enough. Still, this team still needs A LOT of work. A LOT. Mark: C

New York Knicks:
Those Knicks are smoking right now – in a good way. They’re holding on to
that #2 spot and remain the biggest threat to Miami’s dominance in the
East. Melo is in the MVP conversation and Tyson Chandler is my DPOY, hands
down. They’ve also won 8 of their last 10, which is the most of any East
squad. Looks like New York’s really back. Mark: A

Oklahoma City
Thunder: Despite what their record might suggest, the Thunder have
been far from invincible in their last 10 contests. They’ve gone just 6-4
in that stretch, though it’s also not hard to imagine them going 8-2 or
9-1 in their next 10. They’re that good. Methinks they’ll turn up the heat
(oops, a pun?) when it matters most. Mark: B+

Orlando Magic: All
we really need to know are two things – Orlando went through their last 10
games with ZERO wins, and the only reason they’re not last in Southeast is
that they have Washington and Charlotte below them. Mark: D

Philadelphia 76ers:
The Sixers started with so much promise, but the law of averages caught up
with them, and now they’re in a dogfight for the eighth spot against
Boston. It’s worth noting, though, that guys like Thaddeus Young and Evan
Turner have improved mightily. Also, Jrue Holiday has FINALLY blossomed
into an All-Star PG. Mark: C+

Phoenix Suns: The
Suns’ offense has sputtered this season. How so? Their leading scorer,
Goran Dragic, averages just 14.2ppg. Their LEADING SCORER. Ah, those
D’Antoni days are definitely so long gone. Of course, they’re also
languishing near the bottom of the West. Mark: D

Portland Trailblazers:
Sometime in late April, the Blazers will be in the thick of the fight for
the eighth playoff spot in the West. They won’t make it, of course, and
we’ll blame their inexperience for it. Some other veteran-laden team like
the Lakers or Dallas will snare the last spot, but that won’t make us
forget how Portland ALMOST made it. Blazer fans can thank draft steal
Damian Lillard for that. Mark: C+

Sacramento Kings:
So, DeMarcus Cousins got himself thrown out yet again. This kind of thing
is getting too tiresome, but it won’t end because this is the culture that
has enveloped the Kings franchise. Look out Seattle, you’re next. Mark:
D

San Antonio Spurs:
Those aging legs are still finding ways to lift the Spurs into familiar
heights. San Antonio continues to defy all odds by remaining the BEST TEAM
in the league. This despite their oldies missing some time due to, well,
age. Somewhere down the road, those aching bones will catch up and prevent
them from entering the NBA Finals, but it should still be a memorable ride
no matter what. Mark: A

Toronto Raptors:
Let’s see… last in the Atlantic and they traded away a quality PG for an
expensive swingman whose skills make DeMar DeRozan and Andrea Bargnani
redundant. Yep. Way to build a winner here. Oh well, at least they get to
sell tickets with Rudy Gay as the new face of the franchise. Mark: C

Utah Jazz: Two
All-Star caliber bigs and three boom-bust forwards make for an enigmatic,
though effective, Utah Jazz five. There are no longer many pick-and-rolls
played in these parts, but, eerily, things are humming along just fine.
Unless they have a long losing spell and tumble out of 7th spot
of course. Mark: C+

Washington Wizards:
And here I thought John Wall’s return would actually make things
interesting. Well, things DID get interesting… for like 6 or 7 games. And
then the REAL Wizards had to show up to spoil the party. Once again, it’s
all smoke and mirrors in the Washington. Mark: C

Game
Recaps (courtesy of the Sports Network):

February
2

Final Score: Chicago 93, Atlanta 76

Atlanta, GA
(Sports Network) - Luol Deng, Taj Gibson and Jimmy Butler each posted
double-doubles to lead the depleted Chicago Bulls to a 93-76 win over the
Atlanta Hawks on Saturday. Deng finished with a game-high 25 points and 14
rebounds and Gibson had 19 points and set a career-high with 19 rebounds for
the Bulls, who were without starters Joakim Noah (foot), Carlos Boozer
(hamstring) and Kirk Hinrich (elbow). Butler scored 16 points and pulled down
10 boards and Nate Robinson added 20 points and eight assists for the Chicago.
Josh Smith scored 19 points and grabbed 13 rebounds and Al Horford scored 14
points and pulled down 12 boards for the Hawks, who have dropped two of their
last three following a three-game winning streak.

Final Score: Cleveland 115, Oklahoma City
110

Cleveland,
OH (Sports Network) - Kyrie Irving scored 35 points to lead the Cleveland
Cavaliers to a 115-110 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday. Marreese
Speights and Tristan Thompson each recorded double- doubles for Cleveland,
which was coming off a loss against Detroit on Friday. Speights had 21 points
and 10 rebounds, while Thompson had 11 points and 12 rebounds. C.J. Miles
scored 16 points. Kevin Durant registered 32 points and 11 rebounds, Russell
Westbrook added 28 points, and Serge Ibaka had 18 points and 12 rebounds for
the Thunder, who have lost four of their past seven games.

Final Score: New York 120, Sacramento 81

New York, NY
(Sports Network) - Carmelo Anthony had an off night for New York. Unfortunately
for the Kings, the rest of the Knicks did not. After New York started 0-for-9
from 3-point range, Anthony's supporting cast netted nine of their next 12 from
long distance during a sensational 46-7 burst, as the Knicks ran away with a
120-81 victory in an annihilation of the Sacramento Kings. Anthony finished
with just nine points as his streak of scoring at least 20 came to an end at 31
games. However, Amare Stoudemire and J.R. Smith picked up the slack, as
Stoudemire shot a perfect 10-for-10 in scoring 21 points, while Smith led the
Knicks' 3-point shooting with seven makes from beyond the arc. Steve Novak also
thrived in converting 5-of-7 from long distance as New York made 19-of-43 from
3-point range and 54.7 percent from the field overall in the victory. DeMarcus
Cousins was the lone bright spot in the Kings' worst loss of the season,
scoring 25 points. They were outscored 72-30 over the second and third quarters
in dropping their third straight and seventh in eight games.

Amar'e Stoudemire and the Knicks continue to rise and surprisein the current NBA season.(image by Nathaniel S. Butler/Getty Images)

Final Score: Houston 109, Charlotte 95

Houston, TX
(Sports Network) - James Harden notched his first-career triple- double to lead
the Houston Rockets to a 109-95 win over the Charlotte Bobcats at Toyota
Center. Harden finished with 21 points, 11 assists and 11 rebounds. Chandler
Parsons scored 24 points and pulled down 10 boards and Patrick Patterson scored
24 points, 14 of which came in the fourth quarter, for the Rockets, winners in
four of their last five. Omer Asik added 19 points and 15 rebounds in the
triumph. Kemba Walker scored 24 points and Ramon Sessions added 20 points and
six assists for the Bobcats, losers in three straight and six of their last
seven overall.

Final Score: Minnesota 115, New Orleans 86

Minneapolis,
MN (Sports Network) - Dante Cunningham scored 18 points on a perfect 9-of-9
shooting from the field and Nikola Pekovic added 14 points and seven rebounds
as the Minnesota Timberwolves crushed the New Orleans Hornets, 115-86, at
Target Center. Andrei Kirilenko and Alexey Shved netted 12 points apiece for
the Timberwolves, who emphatically ended a six-game losing streak. Mickael
Gelabale contributed 11 points and five rebounds in the win. Anthony Davis
scored 18 points and Robin Lopez donated 16 for the Hornets, who have lost four
straight road tilts and six of their last seven games overall.

Final Score: Milwaukee 107, Orlando 98

Milwaukee,
WI (Sports Network) - Monta Ellis finished with 21 points and 11 assists as the
Milwaukee Bucks took care of the Orlando Magic with a 107-98 victory on
Saturday. Brandon Jennings followed with 20 points and Larry Sanders filled the
stat sheet with 17 points, 13 rebounds and six blocks to help the Bucks end a
two-game skid. Ersan Ilyasova added 16 points and eight boards in the victory.
The decimated Magic added Jameer Nelson (forearm) to their injured list prior
to the team's ninth straight loss. Nikola Vucevic finished with 20 points, 12
rebounds and six assists, while Maurice Harkless tallied 19 points and 14
boards in the setback.

Final Score: San Antonio 96, Washington 86

San Antonio,
TX (Sports Network) - Tim Duncan's return to the lineup was short-lived, but
the San Antonio Spurs managed to record their 10th straight victory with a
96-86 decision over the Washington Wizards on Saturday. Duncan, who had missed
the team's previous four games with a sore left knee, suffered a sprained right
ankle and a sprained left knee in the second quarter. He was hurt when
Washington forward Martell Webster rolled onto the back of his knee as the two
were battling for a rebound. Tony Parker had a double- double with 19 points
and 12 assists for the Spurs, who will begin an 18- day, nine-game road trip on
Wednesday. Danny Green and Tiago Splitter donated 15 and 12 points,
respectively, while Kawhi Leonard tallied 10 points and 11 boards. John Wall
ended with 21 points and nine assists for the Wizards, who have lost four
straight. Webster had 14 points and Chris Singleton and Nene each added 11
points apiece.

Final Score: Portland 105, Utah 99

Portland, OR
(Sports Network) - Damian Lillard scored 23 points and the Portland Trail
Blazers split a home-and-home set with the Utah Jazz by taking a 105-99 victory
on Saturday at the Rose Garden. Nicolas Batum fell just shy of a triple-double,
registering 12 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists, while J.J. Hickson and
LaMarcus Aldridge also posted double- doubles in Portland's fourth victory in
six games. Hickson tallied 21 points with 11 rebounds and Aldridge totaled 18
points along with 11 boards in the triumph. The Trail Blazers were without
Wesley Matthews, who sat with a sprained ankle. Randy Foye tied a season-high
with six triples to lead the Jazz with 23 points, but Utah was unable to sweep
the two-game set with Portland after defeating them on Friday. Paul Millsap
finished with 18 points and Marvin Williams followed with 15 as Utah suffered
its 17th loss in 26 road contests this season.

Final Score: Golden State 113, Phoenix 93

Oakland, CA
(Sports Network) - Stephen Curry posted 29 points and eight assists to pace the
Golden State Warriors to their fourth straight win, a 113-93 decision over the
Phoenix Suns. Harrison Barnes chipped in 21 points and eight boards, while
David Lee filled the stat sheet with 16 points, 12 boards and seven assists.
Klay Thompson scored 17, as the Warriors rallied from a four-point halftime
deficit and held a 65-41 scoring advantage over the final 24 minutes. The
Warriors, who moved 13 games over .500, shared the ball well with 34 assists.
Michael Beasley had 24 points and Jared Dudley finished with 16 for the Suns, losers
in four of their last five games. Luis Scola ended with nine points and 14
rebounds.

February
3

Final Score: Boston 106, LA Clippers 104

Boston, MA
(Sports Network) - Paul Pierce finished with 22 points, including the
game-sealing 3-pointer in the closing seconds, as the Boston Celtics held off
the Los Angeles Clippers, 106-104, at TD Garden. Jeff Green and Leandro Barbosa
added 14 points apiece, Jason Terry netted 13 with six assists and Kevin
Garnett posted 12 points and five rebounds for Boston, which won its fourth
straight game. Eric Bledsoe had 23 points and 10 assists, while Blake Griffin
had 20 points and 11 rebounds for the Clippers, who have dropped two in a row
and six of their last eight overall. Jamal Crawford poured in 23 points and
Caron Butler finished with 18 in defeat.

Final Score: LA Lakers 98, Detroit 97

Auburn
Hills, MI (Sports Network) - Pau Gasol scored 23 points and grabbed 10 rebounds
and Kobe Bryant added 18 points and five assists, as the Los Angeles Lakers
held on for a 98-97 victory over the Detroit Pistons Sunday. Bryant's
three-point play with just over one minute helped the Lakers pick up their
second straight win and fifth victory in their last six tries, despite four
missed free throws in the final 16 seconds of the game and two late-second
missed opportunities from the Pistons. Greg Monroe recorded a double-double
with 20 points and 12 rebounds and Will Bynum posted 18 points and dished out
10 helpers, for the Pistons, who lost for the third time in their last four
games.

Final Score: Miami 100, Toronto 85

Toronto, ON
(Sports Network) - LeBron James had 30 points, eight rebounds and seven assists
to lead the Miami Heat to a 100-85 win over the Toronto Raptors. James was
10-for-16 from the field for Miami, which was coming off a 102-89 loss to
Indiana on Friday. Chris Bosh added 28 points, while Dwayne Wade had 23 points,
five rebounds, five assists and three steals. Rudy Gay, who was acquired from a
trade with the Grizzlies on Thursday, scored 29 points for the Raptors, who
have lost four of their past five games. DeMar DeRozan scored 27 points,
including a perfect 14-for-14 from the free throw line in the loss.

February
4

Final Score: Indiana 111, Chicago 101

Indianapolis,
IN (Sports Network) - David West netted a game-high 29 points and pulled down
nine rebounds and Paul George recorded a double-double with 21 points and 11
boards, as the Indiana Pacers defeated the Chicago Bulls, 111-101,
Monday.George Hill added 22 points on 7-of-10 shooting and dished out six
helpers for the Pacers, who picked up their 14th straight home victory at
Bankers Life Fieldhouse and won their third straight overall. Lance Stephenson
contributed 15 points, five assists and four rebounds in the victory. Marco
Belinelli paced Chicago with a season-high 24 points, despite playing on a bad
ankle for the majority of the contest, and Nate Robinson added 19 points and
nine assists for the Bulls, who lost for the second time in their last three
games. Taj Gibson scored 10 points and pulled down 11 rebounds in defeat.

Final Score: Philadelphia 78, Orlando 61

Philadelphia,
PA (Sports Network) - Spencer Hawes had 21 points and 14 rebounds in the
Philadelphia 76ers' 78-61 win over the Orlando Magic. Jrue Holiday added 13
points and 14 assists for the Sixers, who have gone 4-1 so far on their
eight-game homestand. The 61 points allowed was a season low and set a new
Wells Fargo Center mark. Sixers forward Thaddeus Young left the game in the
middle of the second quarter with a strained left hamstring when he was
attempting to steal a rebound from Magic forward Gustavo Ayon. Young did not
return. E'Twaun Moore netted 18 points to lead Orlando, which tied a season-
high with its 10th straight loss.

Final Score: Washington 98, LA Clippers 90

Washington,
DC (Sports Network) - Martell Webster scored 21 points on 5-of-6 shooting from
beyond the arc to lead the Washington Wizards to a 98-90 victory over the
shorthanded Los Angeles Clippers on Monday. Nene and Garrett Temple each scored
15 points and John Wall added 13 points and eight assists for the Wizards, who
snapped a four-game skid.Emeka Okafor chipped in nine points with 14 rebounds
and Trevor Ariza added 10 points off the bench in the win. Jamal Crawford
poured in 28 points and Eric Bledsoe scored 17 points and dished out nine assists
for the Clippers, who played without All-Stars Chris Paul and Blake Griffin.

Final Score: Miami 99, Charlotte 94

Miami, FL
(Sports Network) - LeBron James was nearly perfect in leading the Miami Heat to
a 99-94 victory over the pesky Charlotte Bobcats. James finished with 31 points
on 13-of-14 shooting while adding eight rebounds and eight assists. Chris Bosh
had 23 points and Dwyane Wade scored 20 with season-high 12 rebounds for the
Heat, who led by no more than nine points Monday night. Ramon Sessions paced
six Charlotte players in double figures with 18 points. Ben Gordon contributed
16 points, while Gerald Henderson and Byron Mullens posted 12 points apiece.

Final Score: New York 99, Detroit 85

New York, NY
(Sports Network) - Carmelo Anthony registered 27 points and seven rebounds and
Amare Stoudemire scored 20 points off the bench as the New York Knicks handled
the Detroit Pistons, 99-85, on Monday. Anthony shot 10-of-17 from the field,
including 3-of-5 from beyond the arc. Tyson Chandler recorded eight points and
20 rebounds for the Knicks, who have won five straight and eight of the past 10
games. Jose Calderon, acquired from a three-team trade with the Toronto
Raptors, had a team-high 15 points on 7-for-12 shooting in his first game with
the Pistons, who have lost six of their last eight games. Greg Monroe recorded
13 points and 10 rebounds.

Final Score: Portland 100, Minnesota 98

Minneapolis,
MN (Sports Network) - LaMarcus Aldridge scored a game-high 25 points and
grabbed 13 rebounds and Wesley Matthews added 22 points and the Portland Trail
Blazers held on for a 100-98 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday. The
Blazers led by 19 points at the start of the fourth quarter, but the Wolves cut
their deficit to 91-80 with just under five minutes left. Minnesota then opened
a 16-6 run, capped with J.J. Barea's falling layup, to pull within 97-96 with
36.9 seconds left. Aldridge, though, buried a deep jumper over Nikola Pekovic
nine seconds later. Minnesota, though, pulled back within 99-98 six seconds
later when Ricky Rubio found Dante Cunningham in the lane for a slam. The
Wolves quickly fouled Luke Babbitt on the inbounds pass and he split the
free-throw attempts. Rubio then dribbled off nearly 14 seconds before firing up
an off-balanced jumper that was swatted away by Aldridge, who was fouled after
corralling the rebound. Aldridge, though, missed a pair of free throws to give
the Wolves one last chance to either tie or win the game.

Final Score: Oklahoma City 112, Dallas 91

Oklahoma
City, OK (Sports Network) - Russell Westbrook had 24 points and seven assists
in the Oklahoma City Thunder's 112-91 rout of the Dallas Mavericks. Kevin
Durant added 19 points and 10 rebounds for the Thunder, who had lost four of
their last seven games coming in. Shawn Marion netted 23 points to lead Dallas,
which has dropped five of its last eight contests. The margin reached as high
as 27 in the second quarter before Oklahoma City took a 68-44 spread into the break.
The Thunder led 92-67 after three and the advantage reached its apex at 33 in
the final stanza.

Final Score: Utah 98, Sacramento 91 (OT)

Salt Lake
City, UT (Sports Network) - Randy Foye had 20 points and six assists, while Al
Jefferson registered a double-double with 15 points and 12 rebounds, as the
Utah Jazz took down the Sacramento Kings, 98-91 in overtime, on Monday. Foye
had six points and nailed 4-of-4 free throws in extra time alone for the Jazz,
who have won three of their last four. Paul Millsap and Alec Burks each donated
14 points and Derrick Favors added 13 points and nine boards off the bench to
help the Jazz improve to 3-0 this season in games decided beyond regulation.
Jason Thompson paced Sacramento with 23 points and 10 rebounds and Tyreke Evans
had 20 points for the Kings, who finished a six- game road swing with a 1-5
record. Isaiah Thomas and Marcus Thornton scored 17 and nine points,
respectively, in the loss.